Following the exciting events of my trip to Belgium the other week I need to apply for a new driving licence.<\/p>\n
This isn’t going to be easy – in fact it’s flaming well complicated because it all has to be done on line these days and I’ve been putting it off for a while. But it needs to be done so I’ve bitten the bullet and made a start.<\/p>\n
All kinds of different documents are required so this morning I set to work.<\/p>\n
Firstly you need a photograph. And not any old photograph either but a digital photograph loaded onto the ANTS (The Agence Nationale des Titres S\u00e9curis\u00e9s) database with a serial number. You can’t do this yourself – you need a certified photographer who has access to the database.<\/p>\n
Having made the appropriate enquiries the other day at the Driving School, I went off up there and eventually tracked him down. It took 5 minutes and, \u20ac20:00 poorer, I left clutching a pile of photographs and more importantly, the serial number of my photograph in the National database.<\/p>\n
Back here, rather tired after my walk, I had a look at what else is needed.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, I need to open an account with ANTS. And so I set to work on that. Eventually, that was up and running too. It took a while, with everything that I needed to enter.<\/p>\n
Once that was done, I needed to make my application for a duplicate licence. <\/p>\n
To replace a licence that is lost or stolen, you need a copy of the declaration made to the police. That was what I obtained the other day when I was out on the town. With no scammer handy, I took a photo of it and uploaded it it to the laptop. So I could add that to my file.<\/p>\n
Next is a proof of address. This is going to be complicated because I no longer live at the address to which it was issued and any proofs of address that I have for there have long-expired. <\/p>\n
Ordinarily I would have edited the date without batting an eyelid – we have the technology – but times have changed over the last 25 years and the French judiciary is not noted for its benevolence. There’s a space to add “additional documents” but only in *.jpg or similar format, so I typed a letter of explanation, took a screen print and saved it as an image. And attached that.<\/p>\n
Then I needed a National identity document. Luckily I had scanned my passport when I received it a few years back, so that was no problem.<\/p>\n
All that remains now is to pay for it, and to do that you can buy a stamp on-line with a credit card – \u20ac25:00 this will cost me. And so I attacked that too – almost done now!<\/p>\n
But you wouldn’t believe it. Or, knowing me as you do, maybe you would.<\/p>\n
I boked the stamp and went to pay for it. The bank needed to send a confirmatory code for me to enter so I waited.<\/p>\n
And waited.<\/p>\n
And I tried again.<\/p>\n
And waited <\/p>\n
And waited.<\/p>\n
In the end, Liz sent me a text. Which I didn’t receive. So while I was clutching the phone in my hot sweaty mitt, she sent another one.<\/p>\n
And a brief error message flashed up – “your mailbox is full. Please delete unwanted mails”.<\/p>\n
There are all of 18 mails in my inbox so I went to delete them. And if that isn’t a complicated procedure I don’t know what is. It took ages, but they’ve all gone.<\/p>\n
So Liz sent me yet another – with the same error message. This just can’t be right<\/p>\n
There must be a hidden message box xomewhere on the ‘phone and can I like as hell find it. I had a look on the internet to see if that is of any help, but I seem to be one of a thousand people with the same problem. It’s an old Samsung Young S5360 so it’s not too much of a surprise.<\/p>\n
But to fall at the final, easiest fence like this after having done al of the hard work is a real tragedy.<\/p>\n
Anyway, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and galvanises us into action.<\/p>\n
I’ll be in town on Thursday morning so I’ll go to Orange and see what they have to say about all of this. And I’ve also found a phone repairer in the vicinity. You’ll remember that I had an HTC smartphone that fell into a bucket when I was ill in Verdun. I managed to make it fire up but the keyboard didn’t work, so I’ll take that in on Thursday to see if it can be fixed. <\/p>\n
GRRRRRRRR!<\/p>\n
I’d had a reasonable sleep too last night, and was up and about shortly after the alarm. After breakfast I had a shower and a general clean-up and cut mu hair too. And a machine-load of washing turning away while I was in town.<\/p>\n
But apart from that I didn’t have much time for anything else. Half an hour on the guiter again but struggling to keep awake while I was doing it.<\/p>\n
Three meals again – breakfast, soup for lunch and for tea I had mashed potato and a frozen curry that I had made a while ago. Delicious it was too.<\/p>\n
And I went for another walk in the rain this evening.<\/p>\n
But now it’s bed-time. And I’ve earned it. I’ll have to see what tomorrow brings.<\/p>\n
